Europe: In Defense Of Free Speech

In defense of free speech, Danish newspapers will republish controversial cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, which sparked a maelstrom of protest, some violent, from the Islamic world.

Three of Denmark's largest newspapers said they would reprint the cartoon on Wednesday to show they would not be intimidated by fanatics. It was one of 12 Muhammad cartoons published in 2005 and then again in 2006 that led to protests in Muslim countries.

Good for them. At least someone in Europe realizes that these protests by Islamic fanatics, and threats of boycotts by Islamic countries, are nothing more than intimidation tactics to silence any negative criticism of Islam, a religion that deserves to be put under a microscope like any other religion.

Islamic nations adopt a double standard regarding the criticism of religion, many of which have a long history of not only condoning but also spreading disparaging comments against Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and every other religion, large or small. Protests by Western nations often fall on deaf years.

Europe is not Islamic (or Christian, for that matter) so it has no obligation to protect it. Truth be told, the secular foundations of European society mock Christianity with more frequency and more viciousness than it does Islam. In many left-wing circles, Islam has an exalted status, where it’s treated as culture, not religion.